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Different Liquid Fillers for Different Liquid Products

Different Liquid Fillers for Different Liquid Products

One of the largest factors when choosing a liquid filler for packaging any product will be the viscosity of that product.  Different filling machines are built to handle varying viscosities, with some being a better fit for free-flowing products while others work well with thicker, denser items.  Below we take a look at four different products and the machines that will normally be the best option for each product.
 
WATER
 
Water is a low viscosity, free-flowing product that will move with ease through most filling machine product pathways.  Though more than one type of machine may be used, an overflow filler is normally the best choice for water and other beverages of like viscosity.  These machines use pressure and special nozzles to allow product to reach the same level in each and every bottle run through the equipment.  Excess product flows back into a reservoir where it can be recirculated for later cycles.
 
MOTOR OIL
 
Slightly thicker than water, motor oils themselves can vary in viscosity.  While overflow fillers can handle higher viscosities than just water, there are other machines that may perform better with such products.  A gravity filler, for example, also works better with free-flowing products, but allows a wider variety of nozzle types.  Gravity filling machines use a volumetric time based fill to move product from a holding tank to the waiting bottles or other containers.  
 
MUSTARD
 
Mustard and many other products have an even higher viscosity.  These thicker products would not normally be defined as free-flowing, like water or even some low viscosity motor oils.  In other words, thicker products like mustard need some help moving through the product path way to their final destination.  Pump filling machines can use a variety of different pumps to move thicker products.  These packaging machines can work using a time based method or a pulse based system.  For example, a gear pump may be used to fill mustard, turning on for a set amount of time each cycle.  In the alternative, each pulse may equal a half turn of the gear in the pump, with a certain number of pulses used for each cycle.
 
PEANUT BUTTER
 
While mustard is not a free-flowing product, items like peanut butter usually do not flow at all.  For highly viscous products, piston filling machines will normally be the equipment of choice.  Piston fillers pull product into an open cylinder, after which product is then pushed into waiting containers upon the return of the piston.  Given that the volume of the cylinder does not change from cycle to cycle, these machines provide an accurate volumetric fill and are ideal for products found on the high end of a viscosity chart, including not just peanut butter, but jellies, jams, caulk, putties and more.
 
Keep in mind that while viscosity plays a large factor, there are other factors involved in choosing the right machine.  To learn more about the different principles of completing a fill or any of the machinery manufactured by LPS, simply browse our website or contact our offices today.